Council to provide assistance for homes experiencing water shortages

Council to provide assistance for homes experiencing water shortages

Council will assist private property residents affected by water supply issues by providing extra access to council taps for domestic quantities of water across the region from tomorrow (Friday).

With an exceptionally dry winter continuing into spring, some residents whose properties are not connected to the town water supply are experiencing lengthy delays for tank water refills as the commercial water carriers struggle to keep up with demand.

Mayor Mark Jamieson said the increased demand for refills had affected many residents, especially in the hinterland.

“The commercial operators are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the number of calls coming in,” Mayor Jamieson said.

“Some customers have been told they will have to wait by up to a month or even longer in some cases.

“To assist affected homes, council will be providing tap and hose refilling points across the region from Friday for residents seeking to fill portable water storage containers.

“We also encourage the broader community to do what they can to help their friends in the hinterland.

“If you’re in a position to assist someone you know, please do so.”

The list of refilling points (garden size tap and hose) will be made available via council’s website tomorrow (Friday).

All council public toilet and public shower facilities are also available to the general public as required.*

Mayor Jamieson said any water carrier licence applications that came before council would be fast-tracked.

Interim solutions to provide a limited emergency water supply to affected residents, such as using the capacity of fire response vehicles, have been ruled out due to the cross contamination issues that could arise.

Council is meeting with key stakeholders, including Sunshine Coast water supplier Unitywater, to identify processes which should reduce waiting times for water resupply.